Thanksgiving is around the corner, are you ready to cook your favorite meals or try some new and exciting recipes? Unlike your ordinary dishes, these extraordinary recipes have a little extra eH-approved hospitality in every ingredient! 

Whether you’re hosting dinner or attending as a guest, sharing delicious home-cooked meals is a must. We’re happy to share these irresistible dishes with you!

Here are our favorite recipes & decorating tips when creating your Thanksgiving sides this year: 

National Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

According to 2021’s updated national favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, it’s evident the traditional core sides of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, stuffing, biscuits, Brussel sprouts, gravy, and cranberry sauce never go out of style – They simply evolve! We’ve listed the National favorite thanksgiving side dishes below to inspire you along your cooking journey this season. 

*eH insider tip: When creating Thanksgiving sides, it only takes one or two ingredients to make any dish your own – This will enhance the appearance of your dish. Check out one of our favorite recipes that is as easy to make as it is to eat – Allowing this dish to be an ideal festive holiday appetizer! 

Cranberry Brie Turkey Crackers

Ingredients 

1 pack of crackers of your choice (I used water crackers) 

8-ounce brie 

1 cup of cooked turkey 

1/2 cup of Cranberry sauce 

Directions 

Place 10 crackers on a plate

Place cooked turkey on plate top with brie cheese 

Place turkey and cheese in the microwave for 40 seconds or until cheese is melted 

Add turkey & brie to crackers 

Top with cranberry sauce  

Garnish with mint or basil 

Serve

We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as we do! 

Easy Ways To Create Unique Presentation Appeal

The Thanksgiving dinner table is a great place to explore your creativity! There are endless possibilities to make each plate look more appetizing and promote Instagram-worthy feast photos among friends. 

It starts by setting the atmosphere at the table with matching placemats, tableware, napkins, or name cards – All of these elements will make guests feel welcome. Using colorful linens will bring life to the table & make your thanksgiving sides stand out even more! Check out our favorite fall linens here. 

When preparing attractive side dishes, your choice of sides has a huge impact on the table’s aesthetic to make everything look amazing! Waiting until the last minute to add finishing garnishes is also key!

*eH insider tip:  One of the easiest ways to amplify presentation appeal is with skillets or deep dishes! These dishes can go straight from the oven to the table for an authentic and appetizing look. 

Here are some of our favorite skillet recipes for Thanksgiving!

Skillet Biscuits with Cinnamon-Honey Butter

Ingredients

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 1/2 sticks cold salted butter

2 1/2 c. buttermilk

3 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 ̊. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Cut 2 sticks of the butter into small chunks, making sure it stays as cold as possible.

Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the chilled butter bits into the flour mixture until blended thoroughly.

Make a well in the center and gently stir in 21⁄4 cups buttermilk and 2 tablespoons honey until the dough just comes together. Turn out the dough onto a generously floured surface and use floured hands to press it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold one of the short sides into the center and then the other side (like a letter); rotate the folded dough 90 degrees and press to 1 inch thick again. Repeat this process two more times, folding, rotating, and pressing the dough.

Cut out rounds of dough with a floured 21⁄4-inch round biscuit cutter and place in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (do not twist the cutter when pressing out the rounds— twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising). Gently reroll the scraps if needed and cut out more biscuits (you should have about 14). Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1⁄4 cup buttermilk.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown and the dough is cooked for 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon honey, and the cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened; mix until combined. Brush the hot biscuits with some of the cinnamon butter and serve the rest on the side.

You can find the full recipe here. Bon Appetit! 

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

kosher salt

Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups raw pecans roughly chopped

6 tablespoons salted butter melted

1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper using more or less to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage

1-2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, slice them in half and allow them to cool. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it onto a paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans, butter, cayenne, sage, and rosemary (if using). Stir in the bacon.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Peel the skins away from the flesh of the sweet potato. Add the sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash well. Mix in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, milk, butter, eggs, and bourbon until combined. Season with salt.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over top.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pecans are golden. Serve warm topped with flaky sea salt.

You can learn more about this stellar recipe here.

Attention-Grabbing Options

Take a moment to think about when you sit down at the Thanksgiving table with loved ones and prepare to dig into all your favorite foods…What do you do first? Almost always, your eyes will scan the table for what stands out the most to you, your nose will be drawn to certain aromas and the rest of your senses will draw you in towards attention-grabbing options.  This is all about the senses!

*eH insider tip: Discover one of our favorite attention-grabbing recipes below – Enjoy!

Roasted Bacon Brussels Sprouts with Salted Honey

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts, halved

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped

1/4 cup honey

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, or use grated Manchego cheese

1 cup pomegranate arils

Directions

Position the oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the brussels sprouts, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Lay the brussels sprouts cut side down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the bacon around the sprouts. Roast the brussels sprouts on the lower oven rack until deeply browned and the bacon crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the honey and crushed red pepper flakes to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar, butter, orange zest, and a pinch of salt.

Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven and drizzle the honey over the sprouts. Transfer the sprouts to a serving plate and top with goat cheese and pomegranate arils. Serve warm…and ENJOY my favorite side dish.

Inspired by Half-Baked Harvest!

Our Favorite eH Approved Recipe

Last but certainly not least, we’d like to share our favorite eH approved recipe from a renowned chef we admire!  His restaurant is Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar located at 344 Center Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. 

Given to us nearly 25 years ago, this delicious recipe has been a staple dish at our Thanksgiving table. We’d like to share the warmth from our table to yours this season! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Hash with Applewood Smoked Bacon 

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash – peeled and diced

1 medium yellow onion – peeled and diced

2 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon – diced

1 red bell pepper – diced

2 leaves fresh sage- chopped

2 oz. unsalted butter

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

½ cup chicken broth or stock

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until almost crisp.

Drain half of the fat. Add butter.

Add chopped onion, red pepper, and sage.

Cook until onions are translucent.

Add butternut squash and toss with ingredients.

Add chicken broth and continue to cook until squash is tender.

Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

To discover more, visit the website: www.Zinrestaurant.com.

There you have it! All the ways you can spice up your Thanksgiving Sides this year for an unforgettable feast with those who matter most in your life.

Don’t forget to tag us in photos of your imaginative Thanksgiving Sides @everythinghospitality_  

We’d love to share and repost your beautiful and tasty creations!

-eH

SHARING REAL LIFE TOGETHER